Richard Brock
Renowned wildlife television producer, Richard Brock gained international recognition for his work on Attenborough's seminal Life triology. Having always had a passion for wildlife, Richard studied zoology and botany at Cambridge University and, keen to communicate his ideas, joined the BBC Natural History Unit (NHU) upon his graduation.
Working as a general assistant, Richard was taken under Jeffery Boswall's wing in the radio department. When Jeffery moved into television in 1964 he gave Richard his first film to produce, a compilation piece entitled Masters of Movement which aired on Peter Scott's famous Look strand.
Richard claims his big break came when David Attenborough, then still Head of BBC2, invited him to produce his next series set in Southeast Asia. Eastward with Attenborough was released in 1973 and was the start of a successful working partnership between the two.
The pair collaborated again on the groundbreaking series Life On Earth (1979), with Richard taking responsibility for the sixth episode and amphibian segment, Invasion of the Land. A highly successful producer, Richard made numerous contributions to the BBC NHU's output, working on many individual features as well as a multitude of programmes for the Wildlife On One and The World About Us strands.
Richard was appointed executive producer for the second of David's epic Life trilogy - surveying the world from an ecological point of view; The Living Planet was broadcast in 1984.
Richard left the BBC after 35 years, concerned by the Corporation's lack of willingness to address the current state of the environment. He set up his own independent production company Living Planet Productions, which has made over 100 films on a wide range of environmental topics.
A highly determined conservationist, Richard recently set up the Brock Initiative, attempting to educate decision makers and local communities about surrounding conservation issues by using archive footage.
View the oral history of Richard Brock
Unarmed Hunters (1963)
